viz. the 25th of September last . She was very stubborn; and would not give any particular Account of her Life. She only confess'd in general, that she was Guilty of Whoredom and Adultery, together with many other Sins. But as to the Murther which she stood condemned for, she positively deny'd it, saying, that the Child was stillborn. And being press'd to make an ingenuous and plain Confession of that her great Crime, which (if she impartially lookd into her self) she could not but be sensible, amounted to no less than wilful Murther; she answered, That what Confession she had to make, she would make it to God alone. And so she continu'd in her stiffness and obstinacy, notwithstanding the Arguments us'd, not only by my self, but by the Reverend Minister of the Parish she did belong to, who came often to visit her, to shew her the Necessity of her acknowledging her Guilt of the crying Sin for which she was both publickly condemned, and publickly to suffer. Nothing that we could lay before her in this matter, could work any thing upon her, so as to draw from her any other Confession than this, viz. That she had been a very great Sinner; and therefore GOD had justly brought her to this Condemnation. She said, she repented, and was heartily sorry, that she had not liv'd up to that Knowledge she had; for she had been well brought up by her Parents, who had given her a good Christian Education; but, to her shame and grief, she had not liv'd answerably to it.

III. John Barnes< no role > , condemned for the barbarous Murther of Ann Edgsbrook< no role > at Wapping . He said, he was about 46 years of age, born at Ottley near Ipswich in the County of Suffolk : That he was a Seaman by his Profession, and had served the Crown several Years at divers times in that Capacity; but his chief Employment had been in the Colliers that trade between Newcastle & London . He confess'd, he was guilty of Drunkenness, Whoredom and Sabbath-breaking; but of no other great Sins: And utterly deny'd the Fact for which he was condemn'd. I often press'd him to make a free Confession of it, and used all the Arguments I could to that effect; but he as often deny'd it, and persisted in that his Denial. He was stupid and heavy, and spoke but little: But what he said seem'd only to be with a design to justifie himself, and make the World believe that he was not guilty of that horrid Murther, nor (as is observ'd before) of any other great Sins, except those of Intemperance, Uncleanness and the Neglect of God's Service; which, he said, he heartily repented of, and beg'd God's Pardon for.

At the Place of Execution (to which they were all Three carry'd in a Cart this day) I attended them for the last time. Mary Ellenor< no role > This name instance is in set 14324392. having before open'd her Heart to me by Confession, I had then less to say to her; but the other two, viz. Agatha Ashbrook< no role > and John Barnes< no role > , I exhorted again to give Glory to God, and clear their Consciences, by acknowledging the Crimes that had brought them to this their sad and untimely End here, and to the danger of endless Torments hereafter, unless they now prevented them by attending to the things belonging to their eternal Peace, before they were hid from their Eyes. They gave ear to what I said; and then answer'd, viz. Agatha Ashbrook< no role > : That she had nothing more to say, than what she had already said; and that she would never make any other Confession to Man, but to God. Finding her very uneasie when I press'd upon her this Duty of acknowledging her Guilt of the Fact for which she was now to suffer, I was forced to desist. She desired One that was then by her, to tell Thomas - (that was as I understood from her the Man who had got her with Child) That he would take Warning by her, and amend his Life. I think he has great reason and occasion so to do, if he will prevent God's Vengeance which is declared against such Sinners, unless they timely and truly repent. So much at this time and place for these two great Offenders; one whereof has now received her deserved Punishment, and the other may expect his, if he does not become wiser and better. As for John Barnes< no role > : When I press'd him again and again to take great care not to go out of this World with a Lie in his Mouth, he still persisted in his Denial of the Murther for which he was to die, saying, That he neither committed it himself, nor knew who had. This is all I could get from him. What his inward Principles might be, or what hopes he might entertain of a Reprieve, or what else might move him thus to protest Innocence in this matter, I am not able to fathom.

After this I pray'd with them and for them all, That God would be pleas'd to open their Hearts, and soften and melt them into true Repentance, and give them such Dispositions as might render them acceptable to Him, and make them fit to be admitted into his Eternal Kingdom; and, That He would, for Christ's sake, be gracious to the Soul of every one of them, and forgive them all their Sins, &c. When I had thus pray'd, I made them repeat the Apostle's Creed, and sing some Penitential Psalms. And having pray'd again, and commended them all to the Directions of the Divine Spirit and the Mercies of God, I left them to their private Devotions, for which they had some time allow'd them. Then the Cart drew away, and they were turn'd off; all the while calling upon God, and singing an Hymn (which Ashbrook began) to implore Help and Comfort from above. And to this they added several Ejaculatory Prayers for Mercy and Pardon; and so expir'd.

Whereas it is reported, That John Barnes< no role > deny'd his Guilt of the Murther for which he was this day executed, in a most solemn manner, upon Receiving of me the Holy Sacrament: These are to give notice, That I never administred it to him, nor to the others that died with him, because I did not judge any of them fit for it; Barnes and Ashbrook appearing stubborn and unwilling to confess their Guilt, and Mary Ellenor< no role > This name instance is in set 4392. being so ignorant of that Ordinance, as not to be able to discern the Lord's Body.

This is all the Account here to be given of these Dying Malefactors, by me,

PAUL LORRAIN< no role > , Ordinary of Newgate .

Octob. 27. 1708 .

Whereas a Letter was lately sent to me, the tenor of which is as follow's.

Saturday Sept. 25. 1708.

" Reverend Sir,

" I having often made my observation, viz. That " as soon as your Account of the Behaviour and Dying " Speeches of Executed Malefactors comes out, another " Paper in your Name is also publish'd, intituled, The " whole Life and Conversation of, &c. (as at this time) which " seems to be illegitimate. Now believing it so, I desire " you would be pleas'd in your next Account to insert " whether it be so or no, for the Satisfaction of the World, " as well as his, who is,

" Reverend Sir, " Your unknown Friend and " humble Servant.

Directed thus: To the Reverend Mr. Lorrain, Minister , at his House in the East-walk of Christ's Hospital Cloisters . These.

The Answer which I have to return to this is; That I never did any of those Papers intitul'd, The whole Life and Conversation, &c. That the Account which I give of dying Malefactors is such only as comes out the next day after their Execution, under the like Title and in the same Form with this: and, That all other Papers that pretend to give such Accounts, and are publish'd under my Name, are surreptitious and false, and a great Cheat and Imposition upon the World: Which I have endeavour'd to get suppress'd, and wish they were so, that base and unjust Persons might no longer seek to make a Gain to themselves of things that are most notoriously scandalous, and do much tend to the prejudice of the Publick in general, and my self in particular.

PAUL LORRAIN< no role > , Ordinary .

ADVERTISEMENT.

This Day is Publish'd,

An Exact Journal of the Siege of Lisle, from the opening of the Trenches, to the entire Reduction of the said Place, under the Command of his Highness Prince Eugene of Savoy; With a List of the Kill'd, Wounded, and Prisoners, of Officers and Private Men, on both Sides: Nicely Calculated from the best Accounts: Together with the Numbers of the Besiegers, and the Besieged, at the Opening of the Trenches; with other Remarkable Passages relating to the said Siege. By the Sieurd' My. One of the Chief Directors of the said Siege; and Dedicated to his Highness Prince Eugene.

London Printed, and are to be Sold by Benj. Bragg< no role > , at the Raven in Pater-noster-Row .